"Lowering Barriers to Blood Donation and Reducing Transfusion Waste"... Strengthening Blood Safety

Ministry of Health and Welfare Finalizes 2nd Basic Plan for Blood Management

Abolishing ALT Testing, Considering Upper Age Limit Adjustment to Expand Donor Pool

Transfusion Appropriateness Assessment Expanded to More Surgeries and Linked to

In response to the increasing demand for blood due to an aging population, the government will work to expand the currently youth-centric blood donation structure—primarily among those in their teens and twenties—to all age groups. At the same time, it will seek to enhance the efficiency of blood utilization at medical institutions by reducing unnecessary transfusions.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on May 13 that it has finalized and released the "Second Basic Blood Management Plan (2026–2030)" following a review by the Blood Management Committee. This is the second five-year plan, prepared by evaluating the outcomes of the first plan (2021–2025) and identifying new initiatives. With the vision of "blood management that reassures both donors and recipients," the plan consists of four major tasks and twelve specific initiatives.

The main background for this plan is demographic change. While South Korea’s blood donation rate stands at 5.6% (as of 2024)—higher than Japan (4.0%) and France (3.9%)—55% of all blood donors are concentrated in their teens and twenties. Due to declining birth rates, the population in this age group dropped from 11.6 million in 2020 to 10.6 million in 2024, a decrease of 1 million. In contrast, the number of red blood cell transfusion recipients aged 50 and older—who account for the majority of transfusions—increased from 347,000 to 366,000 during the same period.

To broaden the base of blood donors, the government will revise donor selection criteria. The ALT (alanine aminotransferase) test, previously used for liver function screening, will be abolished, and raising the upper age limit for blood donation is also under review. The malaria testing protocol will be re-examined as well. In regions without blood donation centers, blood donation buses will be operated regularly to improve accessibility.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, in particular, plans to develop customized gifts targeting the primary blood donor age group (teens and twenties), such as subscription vouchers for OTT (over-the-top) platforms like Netflix, and photocard merchandise exclusively for donors.

In addition to boosting supply, efforts will also be made to reduce the overuse of transfusions. The transfusion appropriateness assessment, which currently applies only to two types of surgeries—knee joint replacement and posterior spinal fusion—will be expanded to other surgeries. Its effectiveness will be reinforced by linking it to the healthcare quality evaluation of medical institutions.

Strengthening the safety of blood products is another key task. The supply of leukocyte-depleted red blood cell and platelet products will be expanded to reduce immune reactions, and measures will be established to supply irradiated blood products. To maintain the accuracy of blood tests, around 4 billion won will be invested annually to replace testing equipment.

The government will set annual blood donation targets and establish and implement blood donation encouragement plans, as well as secure plasma supplies for the production of pharmaceuticals such as albumin and immunoglobulin. It will also create and pilot standards for supplying blood based on the inventory levels at each medical institution, with plans for wider implementation. The blood donation certificate and blood donation refund point systems will be restructured to enhance recognition and pride among donors.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Eun-kyung stated, "Your commitment to sharing life through blood donation forms a solid foundation for stable blood supply and patient treatment. The government will continue to do its utmost so that more people participate in blood donation and the public can receive transfusions with peace of mind."